King of Underworld

Chapter 34 The Story of Otus and Ephialtes – (2)

Boom! Boom!

The sound coming from the outskirts of Olympus grew louder.

If this noise could be heard even in the divine palace above the clouds, then it wasn’t something happening only on the ground…

Could it be the sound of Hephaestus swinging his hammer with full force?

The other gods were also beginning to look unsettled.

“Is someone approaching Olympus?”

“But this kind of noise…”

“Ah! Everyone, look over there!”

An unknown minor god pointed somewhere on the ground.

There, two enormous giants were piling up mountains and filling the sea with earth, creating a path toward Olympus.

The noise was caused by the sound each time they hurled massive rocks or mounds of earth.

“Who dares to approach Olympus…”

“Those giants don’t seem to be gods, so Zeus will handle them, right?”

“Zeus doesn’t even need to step in. I can just…”

“Wait, a prophecy! There was a prophecy!”

The gods were making threatening noises to deal with the audacious giants who dared to ascend to Olympus.

Just then, a voice mentioned the existence of a prophecy.

Hermes came flying over, flapping the wings on his shoes, and spoke urgently.

“There is a prophecy that no god or human can kill those two brothers!”

“What?!”

“So we just have to stand by and watch?”

“Who are they?”

Cannot be killed… huh.

Well, let’s wait until they reach us and hear what they have to say.

They don’t seem to be coming with good intentions, but somehow, I feel a familiar power from them.

“Olympus never has a peaceful day…”

“The quiet Underworld is looking better and better compared to this place full of chaos~”

These were, in order, the words of Hestia and Aphrodite.

Aphrodite, seemingly uninterested, just gave me a playful smile.

Well, considering the Twelve Olympians…

Before long, the sources of the noise revealed themselves on Olympus.

Two enormous giants.

Their faces looked no older than early teens, but their bodies were gigantic, as if made by combining dozens of humans, giving off a grotesque impression.

“Oh, is this Olympus? Where’s Hera, who will be my wife?”

“Artemis! Your husband is here!”

Are they crazy?

* * *

“You, you’re really pretty. Are you Hera?”

“Hmm… I’m neither Lady Hera, nor are you my type.”

One of the giants pointed at Aphrodite and spoke.

The goddess of beauty deftly responded.

“Then where is Artemis? Her husband is here, but she isn’t showing up.”

“Maybe if we break a bit of Olympus, she’ll come out?”

Are they truly insane?

Judging by the expressions of some of the other gods on Olympus, it seemed they shared my thoughts.

Someone quickly sprang into action.

“You crazy fools! You look like young brats, do you think Olympus is your playground?”

“Hmm? What’s this little one saying?”

“Who are you?”

The one who had donned armor and was pointing a sword at the giants was the god of war.

“I am Ares! Since I can’t kill you, I’ll beat you until you’re near death!”

“What are you going to do with that toothpick?”

“Silence! I’ll show you the horrors of war!”

Ares charged forward… but these giants looked quite formidable.

Perhaps on par with the top ranks of the Twelve Olympians?

Thwack—Clang!

“Ugh!”

The sword Ares had swung so confidently shattered, and he was sent flying.

In war, death is inevitable, and since the prophecy stated that the giants couldn’t be killed, Ares’ defeat was unsurprising.

“Ouch. That stung a bit.”

“But it was still just a toothpick.”

Of course, they also possessed considerable strength.

Being immune to death by gods and humans… and having a basic power level comparable to the top Olympians…

“Whose lineage do you belong to? What’s your name?”

At my question, their eyes turned toward me.

“I am Otus, the one who will become Artemis’ husband!”

“I am Ephialtes. We come from Thessaly!”

Thessaly? Giants this powerful emerged from a human kingdom?

They certainly seem to have some divine blood mixed in…

“Thessaly…?”

“Who are these creatures?”

“They want to take Lady Hera as their wife? What is this nonsense…”

The gods began to murmur.

Perhaps they were thinking that these giants, with their invincible prophecy and formidable power, might actually take Hera and Artemis.

“Argh! Let me go, you bastard!”

“You’re too noisy, stay there.”

“…? Are you trying to imprison me here?”

As Otus and Ephialtes teamed up to trap Ares in a giant bronze jar, the gods became even more agitated.

They weren’t Typhon, so there was no need to panic so much.

“What on earth is wrong with Olympus… Hades, did you curse us or something?”

“What are you talking about now…”

Demeter expressed her disdain for the Underworld with a sullen face.

It seemed like she was just joking, but it was true that all sorts of things had been happening on Olympus lately.

“There are many loopholes in prophecies… Hades, this should be an easy task for you, right?”

Aphrodite approached me, cooing sweetly.

It was a bit annoying… but she was a valuable worker in the Underworld, so I’d tolerate it for now.

Many gods were flustered, but the Twelve Olympians showed little concern.

Even Ares, who had been thrown into the bronze jar earlier, merely glanced at me in disbelief.

He would break out of the jar soon enough.

Imprisoning the god of war in a mere giant bronze jar, these giants seemed full of pride in their strength.

They possessed power ranked among the top of the Olympians.

However, despite their great strength, they were still injured by Ares’ sword.

These young giants had no experience in battle, and though they couldn’t be killed, the prophecy didn’t say anything about being subdued.

Meanwhile, the gods here were seasoned warriors who had fought in wars against the Titan gods, the Gigantes, and Typhon.

Among them were Zeus, the king of Olympus, and me.

“Haha! Quickly, bring Hera and Artemis here!”

“If you don’t want to end up like the one in the jar, hurry up!”

Their voices were grating on my ears. I should take matters into my own hands and subdue them.

It might be a good idea to toss them into the prison in the Underworld, where they can’t grow any stronger.

* * *

Otus, one of the giant brothers, had ambition.

He desired to ascend to Olympus, defeat all the gods, and make the beautiful goddess of the hunt his wife.

“Otus, then I’ll take Hera as my wife!”

“If we combine our strength, the gods will be no match for us!”

And if his twin brother, Ephialtes, who possessed equal power, lent his strength, it would be an easy task.

Thus, they piled up Mount Ossa and Mount Pelion, creating a path to the divine palace of Olympus…

And finally succeeded in setting foot above the clouds.

“Argh! Let me go, you bastard!”

“You’re too noisy, stay there.”

Otus trapped the insolent little god who had dared to attack him in a jar and shouted, thinking of the beautiful Artemis, who would soon become his wife.

“Haha! Quickly, bring Hera and Artemis here!”

At that moment, a male god who had been asking their identity quietly stood up.

The gloomy-looking god let out a deep sigh.

“The Lord of the Underworld is stepping in personally… are those fools headed for Tartarus?”

“What kind of fools are causing a ruckus on Olympus…”

“Hey, you giants, you’d better start begging for forgiveness now.”

As he slowly rose from his seat, the panicked gods regained their composure.

Who was this guy?

Even Ephialtes, curious about his identity, asked.

“Who are you?”

The black-haired god, looking annoyed, made a casual gesture into the air.

What appeared was a bident, its two prongs splitting at the end.

But what could he hope to do with a mere toothpick like that?

Otus sneered and raised his massive fist.

The black-haired god only stared at them with an indifferent expression as they approached.

He didn’t respond at all.

“Hmph. Whoever you are, you’ll be in trouble if my fist connects.”

Otus’ iron-like fist swung through the air, producing a terrifying sound of destruction.

Whoooosh!

But the sound was all there was.

The fist, aimed at its target, connected with nothing.

Instead, a burning pain surged through his wrist.

“Aaaargh!”

“Otus!”

When did he dodge my punch?

I didn’t see anything, so when did he stab this into my wrist?

A sinister aura slowly emanated from his body, still bearing that annoyed expression.

Though it was bright daylight, much closer to the sun than the mortal realm, the surroundings seemed to darken.

Otus, who had always been confident in his immense power, felt fear creeping in for the first time.

This guy, he was nothing like that Ares who had just charged at him earlier. Could he be… Zeus?

“You’re of divine blood… but does your father not care for his children at all?”

“No! Otus… Aaaargh!”

Ephialtes, upon seeing his brother’s pierced wrist, rushed forward in agitation, but…

In an instant, he too was stabbed by the bident, bleeding from his ankle as he collapsed.

“You’re heading to prison first.”

The sharp two-pronged bident moved closer to Otus’ eyes.

It was too fast. I couldn’t respond. My body… wouldn’t move.

”

Wait! Please, wait a moment, Brother Hades!”

“Zeus?”

Just as someone’s voice rang out, the bident stopped right in front of Otus’ eyes.

“Hmm. Hmm. We must treat such esteemed guests of Olympus with proper hospitality.”

Thanks to the intervention of the dignified golden-haired male god, Otus avoided losing his sight.

Zeus and Hades, that means this is one of the Three Gods?

The king of the gods, who had just stopped Hades from wielding his bident, looked at them with a faint smile.

“So, you’ve come to claim Hera and Artemis?”

But for some reason, Otus found that smile terrifying.